Greetings from the community foundation!
As communities across the country grapple with increasing needs, our region is certainly not alone in doubling down on efforts to raise awareness and funds to help people in crisis. Our community’s nonprofit organizations are a testament to the region’s resiliency, strength, and commitment to everyone who lives here. At the community foundation, our team is honored to work with your organization and so many others that strive to improve the quality of life every single day, especially during times of trouble.
As year-end approaches in the midst of such urgent community priorities, we’re sharing three tips to help you engage your donors for philanthropic support.
—Tax laws are changing next year, and the next few weeks present a window of opportunity. Be sure you are aware of how you can use this opportunity to encourage your donors to respond to urgent needs while they’re also consulting their tax advisors about charitable giving opportunities.
—As you look ahead not only to year-end 2025 but also to 2026, take a moment to quickly review the power of the Qualified Charitable Distribution. Yes, you hear about QCDs a lot, but these tools are complex and need to be reviewed periodically so that you can mention them to your donors, who in turn can consult their tax advisors. QCDs will become even more important next year as tax laws change.
—Don't be shy at year-end! Ask your donors to increase their support. Lots is changing with the tax laws, and many of your donors may be able to reap benefits from giving more this year. Lean into the opportunity!
Many thanks for the opportunity to work together! It is our honor to work alongside you as we strive to engage donors to make a difference in the community we all love.
–Your community foundation
THIS MONTH’S
FEATURED ARTICLES
Urgent needs, tax law changes, and charitable giving opportunities
Across our region, many families are facing difficult circumstances. You and other nonprofits that serve these families are working tirelessly to meet growing demand. Whether acute challenges from time to time are triggered by a government shutdown that disrupts paychecks, services, and community programs, a natural disaster, or broader economic factors, the community foundation stands beside you. We know that nonprofits are on the front lines of every crisis, and we want to share a few strategies to help you sustain and grow the support your organization needs during this and other periods of uncertainty.
Highlight your local impact.
Donors—including those with donor-advised funds and those giving through the community foundation—want to know their dollars make a difference close to home. Be specific when you describe how your organization is responding to current needs. Share stories that illustrate urgency, but also show measurable outcomes and accountability. Local donors trust nonprofits that communicate clearly and demonstrate tangible results for families and neighborhoods in crisis.
Tap into donor-advised fund generosity.
Many donors already have charitable dollars set aside in donor-advised funds at the community foundation. These funds are ready to be granted quickly when compelling needs arise. Now is the time to reach out to your supporters who hold donor-advised funds and remind them that their giving can make an immediate impact. When you make it easy for them to recommend a grant—by providing your organization’s full legal name, EIN, and a clear purpose, for example—you help remove barriers to giving.
Connect your appeal to the timing of tax changes.
The urgency of community needs in late 2025 aligns with an important window for donors who itemize their deductions. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), limits on charitable deductions will tighten beginning in 2026. This means that donors who “front-load” their giving this year—by contributing more before the new rules take effect—may be able to maximize both their tax benefits and their philanthropic impact. In your communications, remind donors that giving now not only helps your organization meet immediate needs but also may allow them to take advantage of favorable tax treatment while it lasts.
Promote partnership and resilience.
Crises rarely happen just once—they recur in different forms and at unexpected times. Encourage your supporters to think long term by contributing to your reserve fund, endowment, or sustainability initiatives. At the community foundation, we are always ready to partner with you to design endowment funds and other giving opportunities that strengthen your organization’s ability to respond to future challenges. By building relationships with your donors now, you can help ensure that support is available when the next urgent need arises.
As always, the community foundation is here to support our region. We are honored to work with many donors who care about your mission. Together, we can ensure that our community’s nonprofits remain strong, adaptable, and ready to serve—no matter what challenges come next.
QCDs: It’s time to get loud!
Local charities have a unique opportunity to raise awareness among supporters about Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Donors age 70½ or older who own an IRA are eligible to transfer up to $108,000 in 2025 directly from the IRA to a qualified charity and, if the donor is at least 73 years old, that transfer counts toward the required minimum distribution (RMD)—in either case without increasing taxable income. By helping your donors understand this vehicle, your organization can open another pathway to support while your donors optimize their tax and retirement planning.
It’s important to understand the high-level mechanics of a QCD so you can speak knowledgeably with your donors (while always encouraging them to consult their own tax advisor). A valid QCD must be a direct transfer from the IRA custodian to the charity; if the donor takes a distribution and then gives it away, it won’t qualify as a QCD. Also, QCDs must come from IRAs (not employer plans), and the donor cannot receive any goods or services in return for the gift. By being aware of these parameters, you and your team can work with donors and their advisors to channel a QCD gift appropriately and avoid common pitfalls.
As the tax and legislative landscape evolves, presenting QCDs as part of the giving conversation can strengthen your fundraising strategy. Because a QCD lowers a donor’s adjusted gross income (AGI) rather than simply serving as an itemized deduction, it offers multiple benefits—especially for donors whose standard deduction is already large or who are subject to limits on charitable deductions. When you incorporate this strategy into your donor messaging and stewardship conversations, you are helping supporters give more with less friction, while your organization gains from their generosity.
The community foundation team is available as a resource and sounding board for this “IRA to charity” option. First and foremost, though, it is crucial that you encourage your donors to consult their tax and financial advisors, since neither your organization nor the community foundation is in the position to provide tax or financial advice.
By working together—nonprofits, donors, advisors, and the community foundation—you can expand philanthropic impact in our region while helping donors make smart choices aligned with their goals and the needs of the community.
Ask for more: Year-end 2025 is an opportunity
The year is winding down! As you look ahead to the next few weeks, consider that now is a key moment for nonprofits in our region to double down on fundraising efforts. Although overall giving among affluent households has increased over the past decade, the number of those households making donations has declined. This means that fewer donors are shouldering the burden of philanthropy, and for charities in our community, proactive outreach has never been more critical.
In this shifting landscape, it is worthwhile for charities to ask for more—and to ask earlier. Donors are increasingly strategic about their giving, prioritizing organizations and campaigns where they believe they will see impact and accountability. Because fewer households are giving, organizations that position themselves as trusted, local, high-impact partners have a stronger chance of securing the gifts that will sustain their mission.
Another factor to keep in mind is that many donors are favoring causes close to home. The community foundation sees this every day! The organizations in our community have an inherent advantage. You and other charities serve this community, you understand its needs, and you are positioned to demonstrate direct outcomes. Messaging that reminds donors that their support will stay in the region and make a tangible difference can resonate deeply.
Ultimately, this is a moment for courage and clarity in fundraising. It’s not just about asking for support—it’s about articulating your unique value and inviting donors into the story of your work so they feel that their investment has meaning.
At the community foundation, we stand ready to serve donors who express a desire to give to your organization. We do this through donor education and tax-wise charitable giving techniques to make gifts happen that otherwise would not. Many of your donors have established funds at the community foundation, and we are happy to assist as you lean in and ask more of your stakeholders to ensure the stability and improvement of our community’s quality of life.
This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice.